Card or sign display mechanism



May 31, 1932.

c. E. MARSH 1,861,235

CARD OR SIGN DISPLAY MECHANISM Filed July 30, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l May 31, 1932. c. E. MARSH 1,861,235

' CARD 0R SIGN DISPLAY mscmmxsu Filed July 30. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZ7 A T i May 31, I932. c. E. MARSH 1,861,235

CARD OR SIGN DISPLAY MECHANISM I Filed July 30, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 jwmzntoo (LE1 [Va 7197 May 31, 1932.

c. E. MARSH 1,861,235

CARD 0R SIGN DISPLAY MECHANISM Filed July 50, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 31, 1932 STATES uNira CLAUDE E. MARSH, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH TO ERNEST A, PLEDGER, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA CARD R SIGN DISPLAY MECHANISM Application filed July 30,

This invention relates to devices for displaying advertising signs, show cards, photographs or the lilre and particularly to a display mechanism wherein a number of separate show cards or sign carrying elements are displayed successively one after another in a continuous cycle.

The general object of this invention is to provide a mechanism of this character which is relatively simple and compact and which will show and display any number from one to fifty moving signs and of any desired size, leaving the advertisementcarrier on display for from ten to sixty seconds.

A further object is to provide a construction of'this character in which the signs may be displayed at opposite sides of a machine so that the machine may be used as a double display or advertising mechanism.

A still further object is to provide a mechanism of this character which may be used in connection with a clock, whether illuminated or not, and which is so constructedthat it may be used either as a wall device to be hung upon the wall, as a pillar clock and sign display mechanism, as a suspended sign display mechanism or i'n connection with the usual large road signs.

Other objects have to do withthe details of construction and arrangement of parts which will appear more fully hereinafter.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein 7 Figure 1 is a face View of one form of ad vertising device constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through the lower portion of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a. section on the line 4- 1 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 2;

1931. Serial No. 554,129.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of the carriers or elevators;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section showing a modification of the means for driving the carriers or elevators;

Figure 8 is a section on the line '88 of Figure 7.

While in the accompanying drawings, I have shown the simplest embodiment of my invention, it is to "be understood that the mechanism may be embodied in a large number of diiferent forms. As illustrated, the mechanism is enclosed within a case 10 which may be made of wood, metal or any other suitable material which may have any desired form or ornamental character. This case 10 supports at its upper end the opposed clock faces 11 with the usual clock mechanism. disposed between these clock faces. This clock mechanism may be electrically driven, weight operated or spring operated. The particular character of the clock mechanism has nothing to do with my invention.

Disposed on the inside face of the casing on opposite sides thereof are the vertically extending plates 12 having the angularly extending flanges 13 at their front and rear ends. These flanges have legs 14 attached thereto whereby the plates may be supported against the inside of the face of the-casing 10 by bolts or other securingdevices of this character. Each of these legs 14 carries upon it a head 15 orequivalent element for supporting alongitudinally extending guide rod 16, there thus being four of these guide rods, two at the rear and two at the front of the machine.

The front of each plate 12 is formed adjacent its upper end with a transversely extending slot designated generally 17 and intermediate its ends with a second transversely extendingslot 18. Thelower wall of the slot 17 is formed with ratchet teeth 19 extending toward the rear of the plate while the lower edge or wall of the slot 18 is formed with ratchet teeth extending toward the front of the machine. The slots 17 and 18 are extended around into the flange 13, as at 21. Also carried by the front and rear flanges 13 are the upwardly extending guide ribs 22 which extend downward from a point above the uppermost slot 17 to a point slightly below the lowermost slot 18.

Adapted to be disposed between these two plates 12 are advertising placards 23, each being formed with a transversely extending rod 24 at its upper edge, which rod projects beyond the placard, the edge of these rods 24 constituting trunnions or pintles which are adapted to be disposed and rest in the ratchet notches 19 or 20. The placards may be made of cardboard or sheet metal and preferably these placards will be connected to the transverse rod 24 by means of clips 25 embracing the rod and closed upon the card or metal sheet 23 and swinging freely from the rod 24. This is purely a preferable construction. There may be any desired number of these placards 23 up to the capacity of the machine and these placards will be disposed in series one after another on the lower ratchet teeth 20 and in series, with the ends of the rods 24 resting in the upper ratchet teeth 19.

The placards will carry advertising matter, signs, photographs or the like on opposite faces of the placard and thus it will be seen that, generally speaking, two placards are exposed on each face of the machine. Only the upper or lower series of placards need not .be exposed if desired, and unless the machine is a double machine, only one face ofeach placard will be exposed at a time.

I have referred to the machine as having a front and back, but it will be understood that in a double machine, there will be no actual front or actual back, but the cards or advertisement will be displayed on both faces of the machine.

It is the purpose of the invention to provide means whereby a card at the front of the machine may be taken ofi the teeth 19, lowered downward until the pintles or trunnions of the card or carrier are disposed upon the first teeth of the series of teeth 20, that the cards supported by the teeth 20 shall be gradually moved rearward step by step and that the card carriers supported by the teeth 21 shall be moved forward step by step synchronously with the movement of the lower series of cards. To this end, I provide means for picking up a carrier from the upper series of teeth and lowering it to the lower series of teeth and simultaneously carrying a card from the rear of the lower series of teeth up to the rear of the upperseries of teeth and provide means for advancing these cards. The mechanism to this end is as follows Mounted for vertical movement on each pair of guide rods 16 is a reciprocating elei vator or card carrier. Each of these consists of a strip of sheet metal or like material des ignated generally 26, the ends of which are angularly bent, as at 27, and then again angularly bent at 28 to form flanges extending parallel to the portion 26. This carrier 7 26 has outwardly projecting lugs 29 apertured for the passage of the guide rods 16. The portion 26 of each of these elevators extends between the outer wall 10 and the corresponding plate 12, the flanges 27 extending outward from the side wall to a point slightly outward of the face of the corresponding plate 12, the flanges 28 extending inward toward the edge of the plate. The rear flange 28 is formed to provide an upwardly and inwardly extending pawl 30 pivoted at 31. This pawl may swing upward to an approximately vertical position but cannot swing down beyond the position shown in Figure 3, for the reason that the pawl is extended over an inwardly extending lug 32 formed on the flange 28. The opposite flange 28 is formed to provide a rigid upward ly extending hook 33.

It will thus be seen that one end of the elevator or carrier 26 is provided with a pivoted hook 30 and that the other end is provided with a rigid hook 33. The rigid book 33 is disposed at What may be termed the front of the machine, while the pivoted hook is disposed in what may be termed the rear of the machine. It will be understood that the ends 27 of each carrier 26 extend over the corresponding rib 22. These two carriers, which are disposed in transverse alincment with each other are simultaneously reciprocated by motor operated mechanism which will now be described.

I have illustrated in the drawin s two forms of motor operating mechanism. The simplest construction is that shown in Figure 2' and is used for relatively small ma.- chines where the carriers 26 merely reciprocate a matter of five or six inches. Where the reciprocation is greater, however, the construction shown in Figure 7 is to be used.

Referring now to Figure 2, 34 represents an electric motor having a shaft pulley 3!). From this pulley, a belt 36 runs over a belt wheel 37 mounted upon a worm shaft 38 which carries the worm 39. Mounted upon a transverse shaft 40 is the worm wheel 41 with which the worm 39 engages. This mechanism is preferably disposed in the space be tween the front and rear clock faces. although I do not wish to be limited to this in asmuch as this driving mechanism might be disposed at the lower end of the casing below the display cards, but for the sake of conserving space, I preferably dispose this mechanism between the clock faces.

The shaft 40 in Figure 2 carries upon it at its opposite ends the cranks 42. In Figure 2 each of these cranks is shown as being operatively connected to a connecting rod 43 extending vertically downward between the outer casing 10 and the plates 12. This connecting rod is operatively connected in Figure 2 directly to the corresponding carrier 26 and thus as the shaft rotates, these carriers 26 will be alternately raised and low ered from a position with the hook portions of the carrier disposed below the lowermost slot 18 to a position Where the hooked portions of the carrier are disposed above the uppermost slot 17 and vice versa.

It will be noted, of course, as the wrist pins of the crank-s 42 swing in more or less of a horizontal plane at the upper and lower ends of the structure that the carriers will not perceptibly move and that then the carriers move up or down, as the case may be, the movement being accelerated as the cranks reach their quarter positions.

At what may be termed the rear end of the slot 21, there is provided an outwardly projecting lug 44 whose upper edge face forms a continuation of the rear end ratchet recess constituted by the teeth 19. Associated with thislug 44 is a pivoted nose or pawl 45 shown as being formed of folded metal to embrace the lug 44 pivoted at 46 thereto. A spring 47 acts to draw the lower end of this nose inward and throw the upper end outward. I do not wish to be limited to the particular character of spring used, for while I have illustrated a coiled constracting spring for this purpose, a leaf spring might be used for this purpose.

Now when the trunnion of a display card is carried upward by the carrier, it will act to force the upperend of this pawl-like nose inward, then the nose 45 will spring outward after the pintle or trunnion of the sign card has passed. At what may be termed the front of the machine, the lower wall of the lower slot 18 is formed with an outwardly projecting rigid hook 48 projecting upward and outward beyond the upper wall of the slot, the upper wall of the slot being cut away, as at 49. This slot constitutes a receiving hook for the lower slot 18 while the pivoted pawls or noses 45 and the lugs 44 constitute receiving hooks for the uppermost slot 17 For the purpose of advancing the display cards from rear to front in the uppermost slot 17 and advancing them step by step in the opposite direction along the lowermost slot 18, the following mechanism'is provided.

Disposed just inside of the plate 12 and normally disposed below the slots 17 and 18 are feeding elements designated 50 and 51. Each of these feeding elements is formed upon its upper edge with a series of ratchet teeth 52. The ratchetteeth 52 are disposed in ofl'set relation or out of alinement with the ratchet teeth 19 or the ratchet teeth 20, but extending in the same direction as the ratchet teeth 19 and 20. For the purpose of raising and lowering these feed elements 50 and 51 to cause the step by step movement of the cards in reverse directions along the slots 17 and 18, 1 mount upon the shaft 40 the eccentrics 53. These eccentrics operate the eccentric rods 54 which at their lower ends are pivotally connected at 55 to depending rods 56 to which the plates 50 and 51 are attached in any suitable manner. Thus, as the eccentrics rotate, the plates will be taken nately raised to a position carrying thelr teeth 52 above the teeth 19 or 20 or lowered to carry the teeth 52 below these teeth 19 or 20. The operation of these teeth will be evident from Figure 3 assuming that the element 50 (or 51) is lowered and that the extremities of the rods 24 rest between the two of the ratchet teeth 19, then as the element 50 is raised, a tooth 51 will lift up on a pintle of the advertising card until the pintle passes the upper end of the tooth 19, whereupon the pintle will slide downward and forward on the beveled face of the tooth 51 into a position to be deposited on the next adjacent tooth 19 in advance when the element 50 is depressed below the series of teeth 19. Thus, upon each upward movement of an element 50, the pintle or supporting rod of the card will be liftechslide forward and be then deposited between the neXt forward teeth of the stationary ratchet rack 19. Thus, the advertising cards or sign cards will be given a step by step movement in one direction.

In Figure 7 I have illustrated a modification of the means for raising or lowering the carriers 26 which is particularly adapted for relatively large signs which would quire, if the simple crank mechanism were used, an unduly long crank in order to secure a proper range and reciprocation for the carriers. In this mechanism, the crank 42 is connected to the connecting rod 43 in the manner heretofore described and this connecting rod is pivotally connected to a vertically reciprocating rack 57 moving in guides 58 so as to secure a rectilinear movement of the rack. This rack engages a pinion 59 mounted upon or on the same shaft as the toothed wheel 60. This toothed wheel 60 in turn engages a rack 61 which is riveted or otherwise attached to the carrier 26. Thus, the throw of the crank 42 is multiplied so as to secure a relatively long movement of the carriers 26. Otherwise than this, the mechanism is the same as heretofore described and obviously, the mechanism shown in Figure 2 is precisely the same in principle as the mechanism shown in Figure 7.

The general operation of the mechanism will be obvious from what has gone before. There are as many of the display cards with their supporting rods as there are ratchet recesses between the teeth of the ratchets 19 and 20. Each of these display cards will have (in the double faced form of my invention) advertising matter or display matter upon both faces of each card.

Obviously, this display matter may be the same or may differ from each other. Assuming now that a card is displayed in both of the display openings of the casing on each face, then as the carriers 26 rise, assuming that the carriers are at their lowest point of movement and are about to move upward, tile pivoted hooks or pawls 30 at the so called rear of the carrier, move upward beneath the ends of the supporting rod of the lowest of the rearmost display card and lift this display card. The carrier continues its movement upward until the projecting ends of the pintle or rod strike the noses or pawls and move the upper ends inward to permit the ends of the rod 24 to pass these pawls. Almost immediately afterwards, the carrier commences to move downward and the ends of t 1e rod 24 will strike the upper end of the pawl and lug Pi and the supporting rod 24 will be discharged onto the inclined face of the rearmost tooth 19 on each side of the machine. WVhen the (placards are being carried either up or own by the carriers, the placard supporting rods are held from lateral movement by the ribs 22.

While a dispiay card is eing moved upward at the rear of the machine by the carrier, upper and lower cards are being dis played of course, at the front of the machine. When the carrier rises upward and deposits a card upon the ratchet racks 19 at the rear of the machine, the hooks at the front end of the carrier lift the ends of the supporting rod 24 from the forwardniost ratchet teeth of the series 19 and upon the descent of the carrier, this rod is carried downward.

-When the carriers have almost reached the lowermost portion of movement, the carriers 7 pass the outwardly projecting hooks 48, de-

positing the ends of the rod supporting the forwardmost card upon these hooks. The rod immediately slides down the inclined upper faces of the hooks to the first recess between the teeth of the ratchet racks 20 and, therefore, occupies a lower display position at the front of the machine. At each elevation of the carrier, the feed racks and 51 rise and shift the lowermost series of cards toward the rear of the machine one step and shift the uppermost series of cards toward the front of the machine one step. Thus, it will be seen that there are always two cards displayed at the front of the machine and two cards displayed at the rear f the machine, and that there is a period of rest between the shifting of the cards, during which period the cards do not move but are in fully displayed position.

\Vhile, as stated before, I may embody my machine in various forms, preferably there will be an electric lamp disposed above and below the sign or card display positions so that the cards may be illuminated.

While I have before referred to the cards as having advertisements on both faces, yet it is obvious that the cards may be in the form of transparencies and that the electric lights may be disposed in the space between the forward cards and the rear cards to thus transmit light through these cards for advertising purposes. If an electric clock mechanism is used, the same wire conveys current from the electric clock to the motor. Wires for the lamps may be tapped into the motor line but there should be a switch to cut off the lamps during the day and there should be a main switch, of course, to control the operation of the motor and clock.

The exact wiring mechanism, the exact dis position of the lamps and so forth are matters of no moment as regards the patentable features of this invention, and therefore, I have not attempted to illustrate it. As before stated, the design of casing and the manner in which this casing is supported may be modified in many ways within the terms of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will be seen that this mechanism is particularly adapted as an advertising means because the public is attracted by the correct time of the clock and the attention of the public is held by the moving signs. Curiosity will cause many persons to wait for the next placard to be shown after they have read one placard, and the public will read a moving sign when a still sign will remain unnoticed. Obviously, photographs showing important world events may be utilized through advertising or comic strips may be disposed between the advertisements.

A mechanism of this kind will display from ten to fifty times as much advertising matter as would be shown in a single space using still signs. The placards may be changed and other placards disposed in place thereof without stopping the machine. It is adaptable to halls, oflices, stores, railway stations and also for large signs on highways.

lVhat is claimed is 1. An advertising mechanism of the character described including a supporting frame, an upper and a lower pair of oppositively disposed ratchet toothed racks, each pair of racks having teeth inclined in the same direction and opposite to the teeth of the other rack, vertically movable members associated with and disposed in parallel relation to each rack, each of said members having ratchet teeth thereon and inclined in the samedirection as the ratchet teeth of the-ratchet with which they are associated but disposed out of alinement therewith, means for vertically reciprocating said members, placards having transversely extending supporting rods disposed in series in said racks, and vertically reciprocable means for receiving the supporting rod at one end of the lower pair of racks and carrying it upward and discharging it upon the ends of the upper pair of racks and receiving a placard supporting rod from the other ends of the uppermost pair of racks and lowering it to and discharging it upon the like ends of the lowermost pair of racks.

2. An advertising mechanism including a supporting frame having an upper and a lower pair of ratchet toothed racks, each pair of racks having teeth inclined oppositely to the teeth of the other pair of racks, each rack of the lower pair having at one end an outwardly and upwardly projecting hook, each rack of the upper pair having an upwardly and outwardly extending pivoted spring projected receiving pawl, placards having transversely extending rods projecting beyond the placards, the ends of the rods being disposed between the teeth of said upper and lower racks, carriers reciprocating vertically from a point below the lowermost pair of racks to a point above the upper pair of racks, the carriers at one end being provided with upwardly and inwardly extending pivoted pawls, each carrier at its other end being provided with an upwardly and inwardly extending rigid hook whereby as the carriers move upward, the pivoted hooks will carry a placard supporting rod upward and discharge it upon the pawls of the uppermost rack and the ratchet hooks on said carriers and receive a placard supporting rod from the uppermost racks and as the carriers move downward discharge said supporting rod upon the outwardly projecting hooks of the lowermost racks, motor operated means for reciprocating said carriers, and means for shifting placards with their supporting rods in opposite directions upon said racks comprising members extending parallel to and associated with each of said racks, the members having ratchet teeth inclined in the same direction as the teeth of the rack with which it is associated but out of alinement therewith, and motor operated means for reciprocating said members.

3. An advertising mechanism including a supporting frame having an upper and a lower pair of ratchet toothed racks, each pair of racks having teeth inclined oppositely to the teeth of the other pair of racks, each rack of the lower pair having at one end an outwardly and upwardly projecting hook, each rack of the upper pair having an upwardly and outwardly extending pivoted spring projected receiving pawl, placards having transversely extending rods projecting beyond the placards, the ends of the rods being disposed between the teeth of said upper and lower racks, carriers reciprocating vertically from a point below the lowermost pair of racks to a point above the upper pair of racks, the

carriers at one end being provided with upwardly and inwardly extending pivoted pawls, each carrier at its other end being provided with an upwardly and inwardly extending rigid hook whereby as the carriers move upward, the pivoted hooks will carry a placard supporting rod upward and dis charge it upon the pawls of the uppermost rack and the ratchet hooks on said carriers and receive the placard supporting rod from the uppermost racks and as the carriers move downward will discharge said supporting rod upon the outwardly projecting hooks of the lowermost racks, means for shifting placards w-iththeir supporting rods in opposite directions upon said racks comprising members extending parallel to and associated with each of said racks, the members having ratchet teeth inclined in the same direction as the teeth of the rack with which it is associated but out of alinement therewith, a motor, a shaft driven thereby, means operated by said shaft for reciprocating said carriers, and means operated by said shaft for reciprocating the said members, said means acting to raise said members as the carriers move downward from their uppermost position and depress said members below the rack teeth when the carriers are moved to their lowermost position.

4:. An advertising mechanism including a supporting frame having an upper and a lower pair of ratchet toothed racks, each pair of racks having teeth inclined oppositely to the teeth of the other pair of racks, each rack of the lower pair having at one end an outwardly and upwardly projecting hook, each rack of the upper pair having an upwardly and outwardly extending pivoted spring projected receiving pawl, placards having transversely extending rods projecting beyond the placards, the ends of the rods being disposed between the teeth 01" said upper and lower racks, carriers reciprocating vertically from a point below the lowermost pair of racks to a point above the upper pair of racks, the carriers at one end being provided with upwardly and inwardly extending pivoted pawls, each carrier at its other end being provided with an upwardly and inwardly extending rigid hook whereby as the carriers move upward, the pivoted hooks will carry a placard supporting rod upward and discharge it upon the pawls of the uppermost rack and the ratchet hooks on said carriers and receive the placard supporting rod from the uppermost racks and as the carriers move downward and discharge said supporting rod upon the outwardly projecting hooks of the lowermost racks, means for shifting placards with their supporting rods in opposite directions upon said racks comprising members extending parallel to and associated with each of said racks, the members having ratchet teeth inclined in the same direction as the teeth of the rack with which it is associated but out of alinement therewith, a motor, a shaft driven thereby, means operated by said shaft for reciprocating said carriers comprising oppositely disposed cranks, connecting rods connecting the cranks, a rack connected to each connecting rod to be reciprocated thereby, a rack connected to each carrier and multiple gearing engaged respectively with the first named racks and the racks on said carriers, and means operated by said shaft for reciprocating said members.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

CLAUDE E. MARSH. 

